Remember My Name
by Crowlex
Summary: Castiel is one of millions of chimeras who society views as abominations. Unfortunately, even among his own kind, he's considered an outcast. If there was one wish Castiel could make, it would be to find acceptance… but who, on this godforsaken planet, would ever acknowledge a freak like him? [Crowstiel]
1. The Ashen Winged Phoenix

The child was crying, begging the man to stop, his bright blue eyes glistening with tears as he clenched a hand around the 'good luck' charm of the necklace that hung around his neck. The other hand was being pulled along by a man's hand, clamped around his thin wrists, pulling him toward two strangers that stood at the door waiting to take him away.

"Please! I don't want to volunteer for this!" His voice was high pitched from frenzied panic, knowing only too well what was happening. He looked up at the man, desperately hoping a change of heart but the man simply clenched his jaws as he dragged the weak boy closer towards the door. The child stumbled behind him, unable to resist.

"Dad! You can't do this!" A voice rang out as a boy with golden brown hair caught up to the both of them, putting a hand on the man's and stepping in between the two of them, demanding the man's attention.

"Gabriel, this is none of your business. Go back upstairs." The man's voice was stern and demanding as he looked down at the teenage boy.

"Cas isn't going anywhere." Gabriel's eyes flashed with anger, his voice quivering as he tried to control his rage. "He's a person! Not a guinea pig for some lab! How can you be doing this?!"

"Do you think I actually **want** to do this?" The man's eyes softened, his voice dissipating to a whisper. "But this gives Cas a fighting chance. The doctor said he wouldn't live past 20 years… this is his only hope."

Castiel had been doomed with ALS, a rare genetic disorder that ravaged every muscle of the body, wasting away every bit of muscle until the body could no longer function. No treatment or cure existed and it was no better than a death sentence. Castiel gazed up at the man with silently pleading eyes, fresh tears dripping down his face.

Gabriel gritted his teeth as he looked down at his younger brother, met only with a frightened face that sent a painful stab reverberating throughout his chest. "That doesn't give you the right to do this. Volunteering my ass." Gabriel spat out the words in disgust.

The man's eyes darkened. "She already signed the papers. There's nothing I can do." He jerked his hand away from Gabriel's as he made his way to the doorway. Gabriel tried to pull Castiel back but a teenage boy was no match against a full-grown man and in his hastiness, ended up falling backwards flat on his rear. By the time Gabriel had recovered, Castiel was being dragged off to the car in the driveway.

"No Cas!" Gabriel screamed, his eyes widening in horror, furiously running towards the door only to feel strong arms wrap around his chest when he was only a few inches away from the entrance, holding him back. He scrambled wildly like a mad dog trying to escape while his eyes were still fixated on his little brother.

* * *

Castiel turned his head at his name as he wiped away tears, meeting Gabriel's panicked eyes a split second before the man slammed the door shut, muffling Gabriel's cries of rage.

Castiel gasped for air as his eyes snapped open, quickly sitting up before swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He closed his eyes, the nightmare still fresh in his mind. His hand unconsciously clenched the necklace around his neck. Gabriel, his artistically talented brother, had made it especially for him. The thread was made of twisted black leather and dangling from the center were two feathers, one golden and one white. Hanging in front of the two was a dark red stone that was chiseled in meticulous detail in the form of a majestic bird with two wings spread out wide, each feather carved with care and attention.

He let out a shaky breath, running a hand through his hair that was damp with sweat and stretched out his arms. At the same time, two black wings spread out in unison before he folded them back up behind him. He grimaced in distaste. When he saved up enough money, the first thing he wanted to do was to have them surgically removed.

He had been one of millions of volunteers for human experimentation and he remembered the whole thing like it had happened yesterday. A disease that had popped up out of nowhere killed everyone who caught it and continued to spread like wildfire. The unusual thing about it was that not one single species from the animal kingdom was affected and later, it was found that they were immune. Governments of every country were desperate and soon, there was a campaign of rounding up people who wanted to give themselves up for experimentation for a good cause, in the hopes of a finding a cure. In order to find the cure, scientists would turn to genetics and attempt to combine animal and human DNA together in order to fight the disease. Thus, a dark era of legal human experimentation began.

Anyone could participate in the human trials and if they were under the age of eighteen, their guardians could make the decision for them. In exchange, families of the volunteered would be paid a handsome amount of money. Desperate times called for desperate measures and younger test subjects were highly sought after and so the money offered for them was even higher. Castiel was only twelve when he was dragged away that day.

A cure was found in the end. Chimeras, the first humans that were immune due to the combined DNA with animals, were the leftover reminder of how close human kind had been to extinction. Unfortunately, society overlooked the sacrifice that was made and instead, chimeras were viewed as revolting beasts and mutants who had no place around humans. Society made rules against chimeras on boundaries and interactions with people who were "normal." Chimeras were pushed out towards the outer edge of each city, away from humans and told that they could not enter the inner city without permission. Humans built gates that separated them from the chimeras outside their inner city. Chimeras could only gain access if they were allowed to do so… which was never.

Chimeras built communities amongst themselves, shut out from humans. Each chimera was unique in their own way, exhibiting animal qualities that they had been combined with as well as heightened senses of the animal that had been their counterpart. However, every single chimera looked more animal than human, whether it was scales or gills or a whacky combination of several different species and even if they had retained their intelligence and ability to speak and think, it was clear that each chimera wasn't completely human … all except for Castiel. His genetic counterpart had been an eagle and interestingly enough, he had only retained the majestic black wings and the perks that came along with it, such as extremely sharp vision and an awareness on a level that was way beyond human. Even in the chimera community, they were spiteful towards him out of envy at how he had retained all his human looks. Ostracized by both humans and chimeras, Castiel didn't belong anywhere.

_I should have never let them take me away that day. My death sentence back then would have been better than this living hell I'm in_. Castiel shook his head at the thought and stole a glance at the table, wondering what the time was. 7:00 PM. He sighed. It was still three hours before the big event but he figured he might as well get ready. He got up, heading towards the bathroom, his black wings turning into an ashen silver color where the moonlight shining through the window hit his feathers.

"We've pulled up everything we could on her so far but we still need some time to do more digging before we can give you a full report. The big news is that she was given control over the company when her older brother suddenly fell ill and died mysteriously."

Crowley folded his arms, crossing one leg over the other as he brought a thumb up to his lips, a pensive look on his face. He looked back at the hologram of an Asian boy sitting next to him.

"Her doing, no doubt."

"Bingo. Charlie and I are going to see what other files we can dig up and see what other dirty secrets she's hiding."

"Careful, the both of you. We don't want her to know we've been snooping around," Crowley replied in a warning tone.

"Yeah yeah yeah, mother, I get it," Kevin retorted back, rolling his eyes, before the hologram faded away.

Crowley let out a sigh before leaning back into the seat, gazing out the window.

"Well that's just great. She sounds real swell." The voice belonged to the driver of the car, chiming in as soon as the call had disconnected.

"Doesn't she? A real charmer, by the sound of it." Crowley looked at the rear view mirror, lush green eyes staring back at him.

"Crowley, I really don't like this. I don't think you should be meeting with her."

"Oh please, Squirrel. You complained first about us driving and now about the meeting itself? Really? One complaint a day is all you get."

"Shut up Crowley, you know I'm right. Who the hell in their right mind owns a private jet, helicopter, and all the cool toys you could ever have but chooses to drive instead? You do know we're in danger driving around out here in chimera territory…"

"Sometimes, a good ol' fashioned road trip is good for the soul Dean."

"You're sounding a lot like this ol' fart right now," Dean replied with a chuckle, stealing a quick glance over to the man seated in the passenger's seat beside him. The man had his two feet up on the car front, his arms crossed, a hat covering his face with the seat leaning back.

"I heard that, ya idjit," came a muffled voice from under the hat.

"Hey! You were awake this whole time. Tell him! Tell this stubborn dumb ass that this whole thing is a bad idea!" Dean had a bad feeling deep in his gut about this meeting and he didn't like it at all.

"Like that'd make a difference," came the blunt answer.

Crowley grinned at the comment, amused by Dean's relentless worry. "Oh Deanie boy, it's flattering that you're worrying so much about lil' ol' me, it really is, but I've got this. I know what I'm doing. Even Bobby knows, isn't that right darling?"

"Mmmmm," was the only reply he got before it was followed by a soft snore.

Dean let out a scowl, knowing full well that he would lose this argument. He always lost to Crowley. No matter how much he had thought out something, Crowley always seemed to be a step ahead of him... ok more like ten steps ahead. He knew that Crowley must have thought through everything and had a good reason for agreeing to attend this pow wow but it didn't hurt to voice his opinion.

"Whatever. Just be careful. This bitch seems like someone who'd royally screw over everyone, just like she did to her own brother."

"I know Squirrel, I know," Crowley replied, his grin morphing into a grim frown at Dean's warning. Dean had a point though. He would have to tread carefully because from the information they'd found, he was going to have to stand his ground against a deadly and two-faced potential business partner.

* * *

A few miles away from the edge of the city were a bunch of gigantic and worn down warehouses. In the daytime they always seem abandoned and empty but at night, they all come to life and tonight, frenzied screams and cheers of a huge crowd were coming from inside each one.

Castiel could hear the racket echoing through the night sky as he steered his motorcycle off the main road towards the source. He sped up as his eyes glanced at the clock of the holographic screen at the top right corner of the visor of his helmet that read 9:45 PM. His event was at 10:00 it. He had gotten carried away and lost track of time, scrounging around a junkyard for useful things he needed.

The roar of the crowd got louder as he pulled up to the first warehouse. In a big lot off to the side were rows of motorcycles and Castiel parked his with the others. Chimeras couldn't afford cars but motorcycles were a cheap and efficient way of transportation that was popular nowadays. Speed trumped comfortability any day because really, cars were overrated.

He smoothed his hair back as he slid off his helmet, hanging it on the handlebars of his motorcycle and pumped his powerful wings once, rising a few feet in the air before falling back down, landing nimbly on his feet on the ground. He straightened his black leather jacket, taking in a deep breath of the cool night air to calm his jittery nerves. Here goes nothing. He made his way to the entrance and entered the warehouse.

The entire room smelled musky and salty with sweat, the smell of metallic copper from blood dominated the other scents. The room itself felt lukewarm and humid due to all the warm bodies in one place. In the center of the room was an elevated stage in the shape of a square that took up the center of the roomy warehouse, the crowd encircling it. In the ring were two chimeras fighting each other, blood all over their bodies and the floor; the crowd going back and forth between cheering and booing as they rooted for their favorite fighter.

Castiel pushed his way past the assortment of all different kinds of chimeras of all shapes and sizes, trying to make his way to the check in table that was near the ring. He could feel wary eyes, judging and scrutinizing him. Their eyes darted away as he got closer and their bodies scooted away from his, making it obvious that he was unwelcome. Castiel ignored them, making his way to side of the arena where contestants were supposed to check in.

As he approached the table to check in, the chimera sitting there looked up at him with disgust. Castiel was used to this type of treatment so he simply pretended he hadn't seen anything.

"I'm here to check in for my fight," he said, forcing a smile on his face. It was only met with a sneer.

"Cassssssstiel." The chimera hissed his name out in disgust; a long tongue split at the end flickered out before quickly slipping back in his mouth. The chimera was a mix of a lizard and some sort of bird. Green scales covered the chimera's entire body with feathers of all different colors that puffed out the top of his head and went all the way down following his spine and to the tip of his tail. He still had a human face with slit nostrils and had reptilian green eyes that reminded Castiel of the Eye of Sauron that stared back at him with hostility.

"Your luck won't lasssssssst long," the chimera hissed as he checked in Castiel into the holographic screen in front of him before flicking a green finger in the direction of the ring. "You'll need it, conssssssidering who you're up againssssst but really, you don't sssssstand a chanccccce."

Castiel just shrugged before he walked away towards the ring, just as a loud cheer erupted from the crowd. He now had a front row view and saw the losing chimera, bloody and close to unconsciousness, being helped out of the ring by his buddies. The winner waved to the crowd before exiting the ring.

A booming announcer voice filled the room and Castiel perked his head up at the sound.

"The final match of the night, the big fight we've all been waiting for! He's won all his matches and so far, his luck has been holding out. Here's Phoenix!"

Castiel grabbed onto the ropes, hoisting himself up and ducked under them, entering the arena, taking his jacket and shirt off and hanged them on the ropes so that he was bare chested, his necklace glinting in the light. His name brought an awkward hush amongst the crowd and shushed whispers. He gritted his teeth, looking down at the blood-splattered floor, avoiding those eyes… those eyes they gazed at him with… It made him feel so alone. Why? What had he ever done to - He cut off his thoughts, closing his eyes. He had to stay alert and focused. Come on, focus! He repeated it to himself over and over again as he lounged back on the ropes, waiting.

"And his opponent and our favorite, the mighty Minotaur!"

This name stirred up an enthusiastic roar as a gigantic chimera jumped over the ropes of the arena. Impressive. Castiel was lean and tall but he looked like a child in comparison to the muscular giant. Minotaur flexed his arm muscles that were literally as big as Castiel's head as he raised his fists in the air for his fans. Minotaur was completely ignoring Castiel, enjoying the attention.

The colossal behemoth had giant black hooves and his legs were bent at where the ankles would be on a human, in an anthropomorphic way, as well as a thick tail that swung from side to side like a snake. He still had hands and a chest that were human and thin almond shaped eyes. His face was that of a bull, snout jutting out and his chest was pure raw muscle that rippled every time he moved.

Castiel took the opportunity to look over his opponent for potential weak spots. His eagle vision eyes were incredibly sharp and could detect anomalies that indicated injuries. The slightest bump or faint scar were signs of weakness that Castiel could pinpoint and target to end the match quickly. Minotaur had none of these and only massive sharp horns that shined in the light threateningly. Castiel couldn't help internally groaning to himself. This match wasn't going to be easy. A ghost of a smile spread across his lips as Minotaur twirled around the ring. The chimera was all muscle but it was ridiculous how he had chosen to wear a super tight wrestling singlet because it looked like he would explode out of it at any moment.

Minotaur turned around and the arrogant grin on his face transformed into a deathly glare as he caught Castiel smiling. Oh shit, what a way to make a good first impression… Castiel stood up, as a hologram appeared in the center of the ring. It showed how many fights each of them had won.**Minotaur: 59 wins. Castiel: 43 wins.** The hologram quickly switched to a countdown starting at **3…** Minotaur huffed, like a bull, readying himself. Castiel jumped up and down, ruffling his wings up, warming up his body a little. **2…** Castiel and Minotaur made eye contact. **1…** They both tensed up in anticipation and a loud horn resounded over the ecstatic crowd.

Minotaur struck first, fist coming straight at Castiel's face. If a human were watching the match, it would be impossible to follow the quick movements of a chimera. Despite his hulky appearance, Minotaur was fast for his size but Castiel was faster and rapidly dodged the series of punches Minotaur was throwing at him. However, one of the punches connected with a sickening crunch that sent Castiel flying back.

Castiel shook his head, wiping blood off his lips. Damn. His cheek throbbed from the blow and if he hadn't turned with the blow, he would have had his jaw dislocated. Minotaur attacked again but Castiel side stepped, the movement surprising Minotaur. He kicked Minotaur in the chest with a satisfying thump, catching the muscular chimera off guard, causing him to land flat on his back.

With startling agility, Minotaur was back on his feet, rage clear in his eyes and huffed. _Anger was good. That meant he'd make mistakes._ Castiel bounced on the balls of his feet, hands raised slightly in a defensive stance.

Minotaur charged, his head tucked down just like a bull would in a bullfight. Castiel was ready for it and leapt up, flapping his powerful wings to get height as he did a flip in air and twisted his body around. Gravity brought him crashing down on top of Minotaur's back and he quickly grasped the sharp horns, as if they were his motorcycle handlebars, at the same time wrapping his legs around Minotaur's chest.

Minotaur bellowed in fury, arms trying to get a firm grip on Castiel who slithered out of his grip, yanking his horns sharply to the side, sending both of them careening toward the edge of the arena. The crowd screamed loudly in complaint at what Castiel was doing but he didn't care; he just needed to win and at these matches, anything and everything was allowed. He wanted to tire Minotaur out so that he could end this match because he did not want press his luck and end up getting his eyes gouged out.

He was about to jerk Minotaur's head again but this time, he felt a sharp sting across his back, realizing that it was Minotaur's tail. It burned like hell and drew blood as it created a long lash across Castiel's back and he lost his grip for a split second. It was just enough time for a vice like grip to clamp down on his forearm and he was thrown forwards, straight at the ground. He timed a roll as he hit the ground, stretching out his wings at the same time that smacked Minotaur right in the face which was enough distraction for Castiel to get up, ready for the next onslaught.

Instead of attacking, Minotaur circled him and Castiel mirrored his movements, eyeing those horns in wariness. Minotaur lowered his head but instead of charging again, his tail suddenly lashed out like a whip, wrapping around Castiel's wrist as he was tugged forward straight towards the horns.

This was exactly what Castiel had been worrying about but he hadn't expected Minotaur to make such a bold move so early in the fight. It caught him completely off guard and he was about to get skewered if he didn't do something. He grunted in exertion as he lowered a wing and brought it back up as an uppercut right below Minotaur's chin, just in time before those horns pierced his chest.

Minotaur's eyes widened in surprise as his head flew backwards from the blow but Castiel wasn't finished. Using Minotaur's tail that was still bound at his wrist as leverage, he yanked his arm as hard as he could as he bent towards the ground, one of his legs shooting out to trip the Goliath. There was a loud smack as Minotaur hit the ground with his entire weight, gasping for air as the breath was knocked out of him.

Castiel took advantage of this opening, getting up on his feet to send a powerful kick right in Minotaur's gut, watching him roll over to his side in pain, completely at Castiel's mercy. He sent another kick right in the face, a splatter of blood coating the ground. At this point, the crowd was yelling encouragement even if at the beginning of the match, they had all been rooting for Minotaur. A majority of them had bet on him and they'd be losing out lots of money if Castiel won and yet, here they were, egging him on for more blood even if they despised him.

Castiel looked out at the crowd with mixed feelings of anger and pity. The only time he ever felt accepted for a moment was in fights and in the heat of the moment, everyone forgot they hated him. Chimeras were part animal and human, meaning that animal instincts kicked in when they got worked up, a key factor that had led humans to believe that they were all no better than animals and unfortunately, there was some truth to it. These instincts were hard to control and the blood lust, even more so. Violence and blood stirs up these carnal desires: just like now, the hunger for more blood was stronger than their loyalty to their favorite fighter.

Minotaur was still on the floor immobilized from pain and Castiel, in his fit of anger brought a foot down hard on Minotaur's rising and falling chest, pinning him down to the ground. He raised a fist and a wing on the same side and began to pummel Minotaur's face like a punching bag. With each punch, more and more blood flew onto the floor, creating a splatter painting that grew more and more red with each blow. The crowd was howling for blood at this point and they were all chanting now.

**"Kill! Kill! Kill!"**

One thing about these fights was that the winning fighter had the choice to kill his opponent or knock him out and show mercy. Usually, chimeras killed the losers out of their instincts they couldn't control. Castiel couldn't help but wonder how many of Minotaur's opponents were killed… Castiel, on the other hand, had learned control and self-restraint of his animalistic instincts, a skill that was extremely difficult but not impossible and he had managed to master it.

Minotaur looked straight back at him with a spark of fear in his eyes behind the bloodied and beaten face. Castiel stared coldly back before lifting his feet off Minotaur's chest and gave a final sweeping kick to the temple of Minotaur's head, knocking him unconscious. The crowd jeered at him, wanting him to draw more blood, more violence, to tear apart the flesh of his opponent.

Castiel backed off, waving his arm, signaling that he wanted to end the match. The announcer's voice cut over the loud crowd who were disappointed, shouting out insults because of how cowardly Castiel was.

"Luck hasn't failed him yet it seems! The winner is Phoenix!"

Castiel grabbed his jacket and shirt, leaping off the staged arena. The chimeras made a path for him out of fear after what they had just seen. He headed towards a booth, wanting to collect his winnings for the night and just go home. He looked down at his fists and a quick look at his wings, drenched in red… the color fit perfectly with his life, full of violence and anger stemming from the simple fact that he would always be alone in this world.


	2. The Red Queen

Crowley was stretched out across the back seat of the car lying down, hands folded over his stomach, twiddling his thumbs as he looked up at the hologram that hovered over his face. Staring back at him was a picture of a scarlet haired woman with bright red lipstick to match, in a very prim suit and flashing pristine white teeth. Next to the photograph was a long list of information and history that Kevin and Charlie had collected at his request, ranging from investments, business transactions, and personal background information - everything he could possibly know about the woman.

Abaddon Knight had contacted him yesterday, requesting a one on one meeting. She hadn't explained what the reason was and had simply told him that it was an important matter that had to be discussed in person, face to face. She was the owner of Knighthood Tech., a huge company that specialized in weapon technology and advancements in warfare and he had a very good idea just from that fact alone why she wanted to meet.

He lifted a finger to the holographic screen, flicking a finger up as he skimmed through the personal background section. Her brother had taken over the company after their father had passed away but under her brother's charge, the company began a nosedive to failure. Out of nowhere, the company started to ascend and expand in ways that surpassed all previous successes and her brother had received all the credit. Quite suddenly, three months later, her brother suddenly started suffering seizures and fell into a coma before his body had shut down on its own. It was overlooked as a drug overdose but the entire thing stunk of foul play to Crowley. _Bloody distasteful._

He believed in integrity, a belief that made things much harder than it had to be in the free-for-all mindset of the business world. However, he had clawed his way up from rock bottom to the very top and integrity had never led him astray, no matter what his competitors did. He'd treat this situation in the same way even if he had to deal with sneaky and poisonous tricks Abaddon had up her sleeves. Like with every potential business partner, he always thought of it as a chess game. The person who made the first move had a disadvantage by revealing what type of player they were. Abaddon had already made her first play and he was skilled at reading and analyzing people based on the moves they made. She was a fiery-headed brute who preferred simple and clean solutions but even so, he wasn't going to underestimate her. Miscalculation of people was the fatal mistake that would cost you everything … he'd seen it happen countless times.

He'd known how important it would be to know everything possible about Abaddon. She was no simpleton he could manipulate easily with a few compliments thrown here and there; he'd need to be extremely careful with how he went about things with her. For this reason, he'd been very adamant about driving to the meeting because he had wanted some time to think and evaluate every possibility… But he was ready now.

He waved a hand at the screen dismissively, everything on screen disappearing so that Crowley was only staring up at the car ceiling with a small metallic coin in his hand. It had been his little invention that had revolutionized technology. Holographic technology with full 3-dimensional capabilities functioning as a tablet, computer, and phone - all in one tiny little titanium coin that could slip into your pocket. He'd named it 'discus' after the Greek sport that he was a bit fond of. The sunlight functioned as the charger and the discus was able to adjust and save extra energy as backup for future use so it was impossible to run out of power. The 3D holographic technology was applied everywhere now, a break through that had made him the wealthiest man in the world. His company monopolized and dominated the technologic field, completely unchallenged. No one was able to come up with more creative and radical ideas... yet and he wasn't about to give up his throne so easily.

He shoved the discus into his pocket and sat up, just as Bobby Singer spoke, having switched with Dean on driving when they had stopped for a quick break a while back. Dean was lying back in the passenger's seat, snoring away.

"Ya think this is really a good idea? Meetin' with a psychopath?"

Crowley sighed in exasperation; he was **so** done with this conversation although he appreciated the concern.

"Oh Bobby Bobby Bobby… who do you think you're talking to?" His voice sounded strained and slightly irritated.

"Alright alright, jus' makin' sure. By the way, did ya get my memo?"

Crowley was grateful for the change in topic. Bobby knew exactly when to back off, unlike the relentless Moose who had nagged him on and on about it, up until the moment they'd left.

"Ah, yes, your farewell love letter." Bobby had written up a resignation and Crowley knew precisely why. He paid Bobby extremely well but fieldwork as a bodyguard was exhausting and for the older man, it was getting harder and harder to keep up. Not to mention, he had family that he probably wanted to spend more time with.

"I'm working on finding a replacement, don't worry. But instead of quitting entirely, how about a desk job instead?"

"See -"

"Ah ah ah," Crowley tutted, not having finished. "I know you want more time with Ellen and Jo but the boys and I, we'll be quite heartbroken if you leave us completely. How about a job you can do from home? No one's as good as organizing information as you and I definitely can't rely on the Hardy boys do to something so important. Same amount I'm paying you now and when I find a replacement, maybe stick around to train him before you go? Drop by once in a while to give us a kiss, too, whether you accept or not. You don't have to give me an answer now, just think on it."

Bobby scoffed. "It's not like I'm cutting off everything from you boys completely and anyways, if I did, who's gonna keep yer asses in line, hmmm? You're a soft hearted bastard sometimes, ya know that?"

"You're one to talk, you filthy mouthed vixen -"

Crowley was interrupted by small vibration in his pocket with the 'Pokemon theme song" accompanying it while a face and name popped up in the space in front of him that read 'Alastair'.

"That lil' bugger, Kevin, changing my ring tone all the time!" He shook his head, making a mental note to tell Mrs. Tran to teach the boy some etiquette on how to treat a boss with respect.

"Accept," he said in a firm voice. "What do you want?"

"Now now, that's no wayyy to talk to meeee out of all people," a sing songy voice replied, accompanied by a slight lisp as a full body hologram of Alastair appeared, sitting next to him.

Doctor Alastair Heyerdahl was the head of Crowley's medical research team. Crowley's company had expanded into other technological fields and together with the good doctor; they had discovered the cure together. Alastair was definitely an oddball and had an unusual personality that drove Crowley up the wall but he had to admit, the man was brilliant.

He stared back at Alastair who now had a goofy grin slopped right on his face. Crowley folded his arms, pursing his lips in irritation, making it clear that he wasn't in the mood at the moment. That didn't deter the doctor who winked at him before pulling up some data in front of both of them.

"You wanted to know if there was a way to undo what we've done. To cure chimeras. There might be a way but… I'll need help, just like before. Two genius brains are better than one… and all that jazzzz."

"Alastair… you want **me** to help **you** when **I'm** the one prepping up for an important meeting, on the road I might add, to meet Madame Medusa's psychotic twin sister and **you're asking me** to help you figure out how to undo chimerism?"

Alastair simply shrugged with a cheeky grin, giving Crowley the best puppy eyes the doctor could muster. He couldn't help face palming before waving a hand at Alastair, indicating the good doctor to continue. Alastair brought up three different 3D models of DNA structures (chimera, human, animal) alongside the data in front of them, grabbing the model furthest from Crowley out of the air, spinning it in front of him.

"You're my boyfriend when it comes to science. Your brain is so sexy I can't help but squeal in delight."

"Shut your trap before I hang up on you, you flirtatious monster. I'll have to cut our date short though, because I need some shuteye. We can't do this all night like last time unfortunately."

Alastair let out a small chuckle and Crowley couldn't suppress a shy smile as he reached for the model closest to him. At least this would keep his mind off of things for a bit. He looked out the window, a sunset in the horizon that lit up the sky with tints of red, blue and orange. He was prepared for whatever tomorrow had in store for him.

* * *

Castiel was perched on the railings, looking down the spiraling staircase of the abandoned apartment that was his home. He lived on the very top floor, enjoying the view and height of it all. The other chimeras lived together in groups like family in the buildings that had been vacated but Castiel had been isolated to be on his own which meant that he had the building all to himself. He leapt off, enjoying the feel of the fall before opening up his wings behind him, slowing his descent as he softly landed on the first floor.

He'd converted the entire first floor into a huge garage of sorts where half of it was dedicated to his physical training: punch bags, mats and just a clutter of training equipment. The other half was a mechanical workshop where he built and restored electronics or vehicles he needed, the parts coming from a junkyard he visited regularly.

He quickly walked to the corner of the room where he'd parked his motorcycle. It had been in decent condition when he'd found it, a bit beat up, but he'd been able to restore it as best as he could. He needed to ride out the nightmares that he had every night,which were a normal part of his sleep pattern that he'd come to accept. His motorcycle was how he'd come to cope with many of his feelings that he dammed up inside of him, unable to share it with anyone. The exhilarating rush of adrenaline and the feel of the cool wind flowing past him and in between his wings, refreshingly cleared his mind of everything. It was his way of meditation and in that moment, he wasn't a chimera that was hated by everyone… he was simply Castiel.

There were many times where he had thought of ending it all: his existence, the pain, the nightmares… but he had come to realize that there was a small beacon of hope that he was holding onto. These small priceless moments in his life that he cherished fueled that fire of possibility that maybe,just maybe, there was a chance that there was someone out there in the world who could accept him for who he was.

He walked the motorcycle to the garage and pressed a button off to the side. The door smoothly went up as Castiel rolled his motorcycle out into the open, excited to go for a ride. He grabbed his helmet, getting ready to put it on when he froze. He sensed their presence before they had revealed themselves. He turned around, gripping one hand around his helmet close to the side, using his hip to support the rest of the weight.

"Raphael."

A panther like chimera slunk towards him on two feet with amazing agility, a long black tail flicking back and forth, as four other chimeras that he didn't recognize approached him in a circle formation, cornering him.

"Castiel. It's been too long," Raphael purred, whiskers twitching slightly. Raphael literally looked like a Khajit that had walked out of the video game, only his fur was completely charcoal black, and his eyes a light pastel lime color that glowed in stark contrast against his dark fur.

"What do you want?" Castiel didn't recognize the other members that Raphael had brought along. New recruits? He eyed them all cautiously, his awareness heightened as his animal instincts were reacting to the threatening looks he was receiving.

"We're not here to fight, Castiel. We just want to talk, that's all." Raphael held up a hand, the other chimeras immediately stopping where they were on command.

Castiel turned his attention to Raphael, satisfied that the others wouldn't try anything but flexed his wings, a small gesture that was filled with forewarning.

"If you're asking about rejoining you and your faction again, I'll have to refuse."

Castiel had been a part of Raphael's gang, the correct term used now was "faction" but that didn't take away the fact that in the end, it was a gang filled with vagabonds of chimeras who worked together to steal, fight, and survive. Raphael's faction went by the name of 'Divine Wrath,' a paradox that Castiel found hilariously disgusting, now that he thought about it.

Raphael flashed a smile, exposing sharp teeth and four canines. "You left without my permission, Castiel. I've been merciful, leaving you alone all this time, but now, I need your help."

"I'd rather ask for forgiveness than permission but on second thought, I won't ask for either. I'm not interested." Castiel shot a glare at Raphael as the other chimeras seethed at his answer.

"Have you forgotten who taught you everything you know, how to defend yourself when you were so weak a rat could have eaten you alive?" Raphael's eyes glinted with a rising anger as he stalked towards Castiel. It was true, Raphael had taken him in when he was too weak to fend for himself and taught him how to fight and taught him that he didn't need to continue living as the omega of chimeras. Castiel was an extremely skilled fighter now but Raphael was dangerous because of the devious tricks he used in a fight to cheat his way to victory. Even now, with the experience Castiel had, he wasn't confident that he could take on Raphael.

"No I haven't forgotten but you crossed the line that day. That day, you lost my respect."

Raphael put his face unnervingly close to Castiel's.

"I did what was necessary," Raphael answered in a low voice, a hint of controlled anger behind it as he slapped Castiel's helmet out of his hands. The helmet rolled away, coming to a halt at where the paved road began, a few feet away from them.

"It was **murder** and -"

Castiel was interrupted by the engine of a car further down the road and found himself vigorously hoping that Raphael would spare the car. It was rare for cars to be found in chimera territory because humans avoided going anywhere near chimeras, knowing full well they'd be overpowered. Chimeras jumped on the opportunity of stealing from cars that strayed near because everything could be sold for money or used as food… It was no surprise humans considered them to be animals. Raphael simply threw a quick glance behind him at the car but his focus was back on Castiel again.

Castiel couldn't help feeling a little relieved inside. It seemed Raphael was too caught up with him but it was also a problem at the same time. He stood no chance against Raphael's fighting style and he took advantage of the small distraction to come up with some kind of excuse that could buy him time.

Instead, what happened next came as a complete surprise to every chimera present. The car didn't speed past them like they had all expected and slowed down to a halt in the road in front of the group. They all gaped as the back door opened up and a human stepped out, closing the door behind him and straightening his jacket. He was completely ignoring the astonished group of chimeras and coolly bent down to pick up the helmet before finally taking a look at the group of chimeras in front of him, acknowledging them for the first time.

The human wore an extremely expensive looking black suit, without a single wrinkle that Castiel's eagle eyes could see. His inner shirt was black…this human seemed to love black and his tie was dark blue with some kind of pattern on it. He had dark brown hair that was neatly kept and a scruffy beard that added on to his air of confidence and authority about him. Every chimera present was taller than the human but it didn't seem to bother him… at this point, the chimeras wouldn't let him off so easily. The human didn't stand a chance against them and Castiel couldn't protect him, even if he desperately wanted to.

The human's eyes fell on Castiel last. Castiel stared back at the amber eyes that locked onto his and he swore he saw a flicker of recognition in those eyes… but it disappeared so quickly Castiel figured he must have imagined it. Raphael spoke, quite irritated at the arrogant human that dared to stand up to him.

"And who do you think you are?" Raphael's tail twitched in annoyance, the tone intentionally rude. This wasn't good.

The human put his free hand in his pocket, the other fingering the straps of the helmet, before answering.

"I could ask you the same question." The hand from his pocket went up to his lips, a mocking look on his face. "Oops, but I forgot, I have manners unlike you. Name's Crowley, Crowley MacLeod."

Crowley MacLeod… That named seemed familiar but Castiel couldn't seem recall where he knew the name from. Crowley had an accent that wasn't heavily over overbearing and there was a subtle roughness to his voice. Castiel couldn't understand why he was noticing all this and squinted in confusion, tilting his head slightly to the side.

Castiel's actions weren't unnoticed by Crowley who spoke again, lifting his chin a little, his gaze seemingly looking past Raphael who was standing in front of Castiel. "And what's your name, kitten?"

"Raphael." The answer came out as a snarl from the now frustrated leader, who was not used to this degrading treatment.

Crowley gave Raphael a contemptuous look. "I wasn't asking you, I was talking to my feathered friend over there."

That was the last straw for Raphael. Castiel could immediately see the change in the way Raphael carried himself, the muscles tensing up as he prepared to pounce on Crowley. There was nothing Castiel could do because the speed that the panther chimera possessed was unmatched, even in the chimera realm. He caught a small movement from Crowley who snapped his fingers before the chimera had a chance to do anything. Raphael dropped to the ground immediately, writhing in pain followed by yowls and whimpers.

Castiel couldn't help but watch in complete awe at what was happening. How had Crowley done that? Another snap and the invisible pain must have disappeared because the cries of agony ceased. The humiliated chimera shakily stood up, two of his faction members helping him stand while the other two stepped in the space between Raphael and Crowley protectively.

Crowley narrowed his eyes, a smirk on his face.

"You lot want to go through the same thing he just did? Because I'd be happy to oblige." He spread out his arms before quickly adding, "Or you could call it a day. Your choice."

The chimeras looked behind them for a confirmation from their leader, who gave a weak nod. They began to retreat, huddling around their injured leader and Castiel couldn't help feeling a stab of envy. Raphael was ruthless at times but he had friends, people he could call family. His thoughts were cut short as Raphael stopped in his tracks, not bothering to turn around to make eye contact.

"We'll be seeing each other again in the future, I guarantee it. I can't wait to see the look on your face when I return the favor," Raphael hissed before limping away.

"I'll be looking forward to it Bagheera," Crowley called after him, a smug sneer on his face as Raphael's fur bristled at the nickname.

Crowley continued to look in the direction of the chimeras that were now disappearing from view behind the rubble of junk and concrete that surrounded Castiel's apartment building. Crowley turned back to Castiel, a look of satisfaction on his face as he began to walk closer. Castiel stiffened as Crowley stood in front of him now, offering up the helmet.

"Are you just going to stand there giving me that constipated look? Please tell me you have better manners than those barbarians."

Castiel spread his wings out a little in a relaxed position, trying to look a bit more confident, which he usually was… but why was it so hard right now? He was always a bit awkward socially but he could still exhibit confidence. It was just an odd sensation, being recognized and spoken to normally. Crowley's eyes were sincere, completely different to the demeaning eyes he was all too familiar with. Oh right, manners… He made a move to receive his helmet but Crowley snatched the helmet just out of reach.

"Ah ah ah," Crowley tutted, "what did I just say about manners?"

What was he - His name. Of course! He was a fucking idiot.

"Castiel. My name's Castiel," he mumbled arduously, his black wings fluttering a little from how nervous he felt.

"Castiel… interesting name. It definitely suits you." Crowley handed him the helmet, dropping it onto his outstretched hand.

Castiel was curious as to how this man had defended himself from a gang of the best fighting chimeras, simply with the snap of a finger.

"How did you -"

He was interrupted by a honk from the car. Crowley turned around, waving at the driver to indicate that he'd wrap things up.

"Sorry kitten, I'd love to stick around and chat but I've gotta run. I have an important date I can't afford to miss. It was a pleasure meeting you and your charming friends." Crowley turned his back to Castiel as he began to make his way back to the car.

Crowley what's-his-face? What was his last name again?

"Wait!" Castiel couldn't help lowering his face in embarrassment as the word had come out as a shout instead. Why am I losing my composure? Just because the man had shown some compassion to him didn't mean anything. He was a stranger, someone he'd never see again and yet he still wanted to know.

Crowley turned his head to Castiel, a hand on the handle of the back door of the car, looking at him with a curious glimmer in his eyes.

"What… was your name again?"

A small smile spread across Crowley's lips. "Crowley MacLeod. And it'd be best to remember my name, kitten."

With a wink, Crowley entered the car; the door slamming behind him and Castiel watched the car drive off before he looked down at his helmet. Just a minute… He looked closer inside the helmet - only to find a fancy black business card with bright red lettering - tucked securely beneath the folds inside. As he took the card out, his eyes fell on the company name: Crossroads Inc. Of course! It was the company that had discovered the cure.

Castiel couldn't help wondering why Crowley had continually called him kitten and unconsciously tilted his head, deep in thought while he fiddled with the card in his hand. _It was almost as if Crowley had known Castiel wouldn't remember his name, leaving the card as a reminder._

* * *

Crowley had chosen Dean and Bobby for a reason, to act not only as bodyguards but as advisors as well. He had to admit, Dean wasn't the brightest but his heart and loyalty made up for it while Bobby was able to see the bigger picture. They hadn't hit it off right at the start because both Bobby and Dean had suffered at the hands of a devious businessman who had used them as scapegoats for a scandal he had committed.

When Crowley had first spotted them in the media, he knew right away they'd be extremely trustworthy and offered them an opportunity to work for him, in exchange; he'd clear their names. They were suspicious at first but they knew it'd be the best offer they'd get and as they worked together more and more, they had become more than friends. Once the traitor they had been betrayed by was rightfully behind bars, they were practically family.

Which was why, as soon as he had entered the car, a nuke went off as both Squirrel and the Sage jumped on his precious ass about what an idjit he was and how it had been immature of him to take advantage of the personal settings in the car to lock them both inside to take on a group of chimeras by himself.

They were in the inner city now and the two had calmed their heads a little as Crowley had sat quietly through their heated lecture.

"Anyways, what was that magic trick you used, hmm Crowley? I've never seen that before because one second you were about to become Meow Mix, the next … he was just rolling around in the ground," Dean huffed, palming the steering wheel in aggravation, still a bit pissed off with the stunt Crowley had pulled.

"Yeah yer highness, explain it. You owe us that much," Bobby added on, turning his head a little in his seat to give Crowley a glare.

"Calm down you two." Crowley raised both his hands in surrender. "I'll explain Robert."

"**Don't** call me that," Bobby snapped, turning back around.

Crowley crossed his arms, letting out a small sigh.

"Every chimera during the experimental phase had a small chip implanted in their spinal chord with all their identification, history, medical records, etc.… And we can track them if we want to. It's no bigger than a grain of sand and of course, the chip was placed in their spine on purpose so that they can't rip it out. They'd die or live with paralysis unless they happened to find expert help." Crowley stole a glance at the rear view mirror to find Dean wearing a confused frown on his face.

"Having trouble keeping up Dean? And here I thought Moose was the only one. Runs in the family I guess?" It didn't hurt to get a little payback.

"I'm… following! Spinal chord crap… whatever," Dean muttered. "Don't change the subject."

"Anyways, I was able to come up with a little bioelectrical function I installed into my discus to fire on command. It uses the chip to send a painful shock throughout the body. It's my most recent invention that I'd like to keep under wraps for now so does that answer everything? Yes? Good, now if you don't mind, I need a little peace of mind."

Dean and Bobby gave each other a knowing look. They had been a bit harsh on their boss.

With the car silent, Crowley thought back to the unique chimera he had met earlier. He'd never seen a chimera that looked so human before and the wings were magnificent to look at. Castiel wasn't hard on the eyes either; the black leather jacket accenting his lean yet muscular build, the black disheveled hair that looked as if he'd just gotten out of bed not bothering to fix it and… those bright blue eyes that glistened like the light hitting the ocean surface as you were being pulled down into the dark depths of the sorrow and loneliness you saw behind those eyes. He couldn't help grinning fondly at the thought of Castiel's confused head tilt with the accompanied eye squinting that seemed so innocent yet genuinely confused at the same time.

The wings had seemed familiar to Crowley for a minute… but it couldn't be, Castiel came nowhere close to any chimera he'd seen in the past. No… there was no way it could have been him. The car came to a halt and Crowley looked out at a tall business building, all the windows tinted with a slight reddish hue, giving the building an ominous look. She was just warming up to him more and more… _Let's get this over with, shall we?_

* * *

Crowley stepped into Abaddon's office for the first time and got exactly what he expected. Not a bit of dust anywhere, the entire place shined as if it was over cleaned every day. There was a desk to his right, lounging sofas to his left with an expensive looking glass table sandwiched in between and… ah, there was Abaddon, standing up as he walked over to her.

She gave him a smile, extending her hand out to him.

"Abaddon Knight, it's a pleasure to meet you."

He could immediately tell that his deductions about her were on target, so far. He grasped her hand in his as they shook hands.

"Crowley MacLeod. And the pleasure's mine." Typical Hollywood style business introductions. Now came the seating part and an accompanying compliment that was optional at this point.

"Your reputation precedes you. Please, take a seat." So, she decided to go with a compliment… She gestured to the sofa across from her and he accepted the invitation, settling down but noticed that she was still standing. He raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"I hope you don't mind if I stand, I can't seem to sit still today." Her voice was all silky smooth and the words seemed to slide out of her mouth too perfectly. It made Crowley uneasy because it sounded so fake.

"No please, I don't mind at all." He just wanted to get this over with.

She went around to the back of the sofa as she put her hands on top of it, heels clicking on the ground as she walked.

"I'm not someone who wants to beat around the bush so I'll get straight down to the juicy bits, Mr. MacLeod."

"Let's set formalities aside, yes? Crowley works just fine." He added a small reassuring smile. He already didn't like her… at all.

"That works for me." She began to slowly walk around the back of the sofa, a single finger tracing the lining of the fabric. Even her fingernails were painted red.

"Crowley, here's the deal. You're the king of your expansive empire; I'm the queen of mine. We both worked hard to get where we are and if an alliance is made between two massive empires such as ours… we can accomplish so many things. What do you say?"

This was the proposal he had been expecting. His company specialized in technological advancements and combining that with weapons would be a huge money making opportunity for the both of them.

"I assume you have the contract all ready for me to take a look at then?"

Abaddon had made her way to the sofa that Crowley was sitting in and he could hear her heels stop right behind him.

"Of course," she answered, her head leaning forward so that her lips were near his ear. Was that bloody necessary? But then again, it was her way of emphasizing the point that she had brought him this deal. He'd just need to remind her who was the bottom in this relationship, later. Right now though, he was too mentally drained.

She walked over to her desk, grabbing a brown packaged envelope. She finally sat down across from him.

"Before I hand this over to you, I'd like to ask you a favor."

Interesting… but not unexpected.

"And what might that be?"

She crossed her legs, as she straightened her skirt. "Everything in here… if you could keep it completely confidential whether you decide to go through with this or not would be… greatly appreciated."

"Of course, you have a deal," he replied as he stretched out a hand, expectantly looking at the envelope. She handed it off to him but held onto it at the last minute, her face devoid of any expression but her eyes gave him a solemn stare. She was making a scene, making it clear to Crowley that betrayal would not be forgiven.

"When I make a deal darling, I keep it." She seemed satisfied with the answer because she released her hold.

"These terms are negotiable, yes?"

She nodded. "They are. As long as your terms aren't over the top, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Then I won't keep you from your work any longer. I'll give you a call as soon as I finish going over this." He stood up as he prepared to leave.

She got up and walked up to him, flashing her pearly whites.

"I look forward to your answer." He left, not bothering to gently close the door behind him. He really didn't like her.

Back in the car, Dean and Bobby were dying to know what had happened but as Crowley entered the car, it was written all over his face that his exhaustion was catching up to him. They had the courtesy to leave him alone as they began the trip back. Good God, the day he's had…

Crowley already knew that he'd accept working with Abaddon, not out of profit, but because he wanted to end her reign. He was absolutely sure she was doing unlawful things behind the scenes and **he** was going to be the one who was going to expose her.

The thing about chess though, was that the queen could chaotically make moves however she wanted, in any direction. The king was at a disadvantage, only able to make a single move per turn. Abaddon was unrestrained and unafraid to use whatever methods she needed to get what she wanted. He, on the other hand, limited himself to one move at a time because integrity bound his hands behind his back. This meant that he'd have to choose his moves wisely… there would be no second chances.

In the end, however this played out, the checkmate would inevitably be his.


	3. Judas Was My Friend

_I apologize for the delay in getting this chapter up! I was super sick and that just set me behind on everything, especially school work. I'll hopefully be able to update much more often now, haha! Also, just a warning that there's a bit of torture stuff further down if that's a trigger for you. Thanks for reading and enjoy!_

* * *

Castiel coughed as dust swirled around him, waving a hand and wing at the same time trying to clear the air around him. He then looked down at the object that he'd been searching for in the pile of junk he'd been digging around in almost the entire day: speakers.

In this day and age, items like these were bygone antiques and old relics that were a deteriorating reminder of what technology used to be in the past. Of course, chimeras weren't given the luxury of partaking in the massive technological advances that the humans had made over time. Humans were extremely careful, making sure that chimeras never got their hands on the newer technology.

A satisfactory grin spread across Castiel's face as he picked up the two speakers, dusting it off a little as he hugged them close to his chest. He had an old amplifier that was actually in prime condition in his room but had never found speakers for it… that is, until now. He looked around at the towering piles of unwanted items that littered the junkyard. It was his favorite place to pick up useful items and plus, it was where he had found his motorcycle.

He took a moment to take in the condition of the speakers in his arms. They were in prime condition and he began to stuff it into his backpack happily, slinging it over his back when he was done but stumbled as his foot got caught on something. He looked down to find an overturned book, bending down to pick it up. As he did, he heard a light patter of footsteps approaching him from his left.

His body reacted before his mind could even consider what to do, dropping the book quickly, going into a defensive position with arms and wings up, with knees slightly bent, before the book finally hit the ground. The figure approaching him let out a loud squeak in surprise. Castiel's eyes widened in recognition and let his body relax, knowing that the person standing in front of him was no threat.

"Metatron? What are you doing here?" he asked curiously, shouldering his backpack as he bent down to pick the book up once again.

"It's good to see you're doing well," said the voice, still shaky from Castiel's aggressive reflexes as the other chimera shyly moved closer.

Metatron was an odd mix between a possum, wombat, and platypus giving him an overall chubby rodent like appearance. Metatron had short, slightly curly chestnut brown hair with olive green eyes with a big black nose that was the signature look of the wombat, along with black whiskers that stuck out in a messy way. On the top of his head were two small bat like ears jutting out and the oddest feature was the long pinkish rat-tail that dragged along behind him. Metatron also had webbed feet and hands like a platypus, which made his walk a little wobbly, almost like a penguin gait, that is, if he walked on two feet. On the other hand, he was amazingly fast on all fours but rarely did, exclaiming that it was barbaric and too humiliating.

Metatron was no fighter, by any means. In fact, Metatron was the complete opposite, unable to hurt a fly even if his life depended on it. The only reason he was alive was because of how knowledgeable he was due to his extreme passion for reading. Metatron was a much older chimera but because he was useful, the faction had taken him in as part of the family. That didn't mean he wasn't picked on and it was only due to Castiel who befriended him that the bullies in the faction had finally left the older chimera alone. Castiel admired how Metatron still remained enthusiastic about books, even if he was looked down on for it but this was an unexpected meeting because Metatron never strayed too far from the safety of Raphael's faction without a good reason.

"Yes I'm just fine, thank you," Castiel replied politely, dusting off the cover of the book as the title '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' reappeared. He offered it to Metatron whose eyes lit up with glee as he accepted.

"Why are you here Metatron? You know it's not safe, especially this time of day," Castiel added quickly before casting a wary look around the junkyard.

"I... I need your help Castiel," Metatron started carefully. "Raphael gave me an assignment I can't refuse and it requires your expertise."

Castiel narrowed his eyes in realization and shook his head.

"I'm sorry but I can not help you." Castiel brushed past the elderly chimera who seemed to be momentarily stunned at the blunt refusal.

Metatron then started to trail behind the longer strides of Castiel, trying to catch up. "Please, Castiel! Please, I can't do this on my own!"

Castiel bit down on his lower lip furiously as he tried his best to ignore the pleas. He wouldn't get involved anymore, not after what happened. A flash of his hands coated in thick warm blood went through his head and he shivered as he tried to push it out of his mind.

"Castiel!" Metatron's voice trailed behind him. He was relentless and struggled to keep up as Castiel walked faster, wanting to get away from the chimera.

"My life is on the line here!" Metatron shouted, using the last resort that he could.

It worked.

Hearing those last few words made Castiel stop in his tracks. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh of resignation. He couldn't refuse to help now and Metatron knew that Castiel was loyal to him as a other day when Raphael had dropped by to ask him for help... Raphael must have reassigned it to Metatron knowing full well that the elder chimera wouldn't be able to do it without Castiel's help. Raphael may have taken advantage of that but it didn't matter. This whole situation was so simple now: his friend needed help and that mattered more than anything.

He turned around to face the now, hopeful Metatron who looked at him with wide eyes.

"Alright, I'll help you."

* * *

Abaddon hadn't left anything out. There were no suspicious inserted clauses that Crowley could spot in the papers she had given him and he couldn't help but feel impressed. He had his reasons as to why he wanted to entangle himself with a dangerous person as Abaddon. In the past when him and his company was younger, she had actually worked under him as a trusted employee until he discovered that she was trying to usurp his throne. She was shamefully and humiliatingly fired. He was young then and a bit too theatrical with how he dealt things and he never saw her again until recently when her brother had died.

He hardly recognized the kind and humble girl that he had met all those years ago. This new Abaddon was one he hardly recognized. Her looks and how she carried herself were bold and strong, not the timid girl he knew. What got him the most were her eyes that lacked warmth. They were cold... bitter cold. Her immorality and the arrogant way she carried herself now made him cringe.

There had been a good reason as to why Abaddon had requested to keep whatever he read _confidential_, as she had put it. It seemed that she wanted to weaponize chimeras somehow and that seemed to be her main focus. She seemed to have no ethical boundaries whatsoever so it gave him a lot to work with and that gave him the upper hand, in more ways than one. Still, he had to be careful. She was clever and sneaky, a deadly combination to the inexperienced.

He was about to give her a call with his answer when the door to his office flung open.

"What's up head honcho?"

The very bubbly and perky voice belonged to a ginger haired girl, wearing a rainbow striped shirt, jeans, and colorful converse shoes to match who walked over to Crowley's desk, slumping into a chair in front of him.

Crowley smirked before leaning back in his chair. "Ah yes, thanks for dropping by Charlie. Since little Kevin's busy with other things, I thought I might ask you to do a little errand for me."

Charlie gave him that goofy smile that she always gave him when she knew that Crowley was asking her to do something that wasn't legal by any means. Honestly, nothing she did was technically legal... but that's just a small detail to overlook and that's why she loved her job and boss so much.

"Sounds like my thing. Shoot." Charlie was definitely excited and her entire face lit up with interest.

Crowley leaned forward a little as he folded his arms. "I want you to look into someone who goes by the name of Castiel. I want everything on him you can find. Don't leave out -"

"Gotcha, you're stalking someone you're interested in and want to know all you can... I toooootally get it," Charlie interrupted with a wide grin on her face, looking at Crowley with eyes that sparkled with curiosity.

Crowley rolled his eyes. "No sweetheart, I'm not interested in him in _that_ a way."

Charlie's eyes lingered on him a while longer in a teasing manner and Crowley responded by letting out a small sigh, shaking his head in exasperation.

"Weird name and all but that's just a first name, got a last name for me?"

Crowley unfolded his arms and sat back cozily in his chair before answering. "He's a chimera."

Charlie gaped at her boss in astonishment but realized what Crowley meant. Chimeras weren't considered human and so they weren't given last names. And the individual information regarding them such as personal and background information were protected by top-notch security because the government wanted all that information for their eyes only.

"Chimera huh? You always did have a thing for the exotic and unique." She fiddled with her hair, spinning it in her fingers, thinking how unusual it was for her boss to be looking into anyone that _wasn't_ competition. She wondered why Crowley wanted to look into this Castiel so much. It was intriguing to find out that this Castiel was a chimera though because in this day and age, they were considered filthy monsters. This definitely peaked her interest.

Crowley snorted in amusement. "Charlie, I don't have a _thing_ for anything or anyone. This is purely a scientific interest."

"We'll see about that boss," she shot back with a tauntingly knowing smile before getting up from the chair, opening the door, and giving Crowley a wink as she pranced out of his office, not even giving him the chance to retort back.

He rolled his eyes again at her ridiculous comments as the door closed shut behind her. Charlie definitely had her special set of skills and i_almost_/i getting under his skin was one of them. She may be a handful but she always got the job done perfectly.

He realized that the next order of business was speaking to Abaddon… this could get a little tricky.

* * *

Castiel looked around the vast warehouse, filled with an endless amount of boxes stacked upon one another. The air smelled clean and crisp which was unusual for a warehouse but it was obvious that whoever owned this place was meticulous. He turned a corner, looking down, and saw what he was looking for. Wedged in between two boxes was a small coin shaped device. He pulled it out and looked it over. It _seemed_ like a coin but it wasn't and it confused him even more. He shoved it into his jacket pocket and began to head for the exit.

Castiel and Metatron had gotten past the wall earlier which had taken them some time. The humans had managed to create a kind of laser technology based field that burnt anything into a crisp on contact, obviously to keep chimeras out. The wall was practically invisible except to Castiel's eyes that could easily see the wall and he had formed a trick that negated the field in a certain area for an amount of time, just enough for the both of them to get through. Raphael had needed Castiel for this very reason.

The warehouse wasn't too far from the wall, which was convenient because that meant that they didn't need to stray too far into human territory. The security at this warehouse was impressive and whoever owned it was extremely wealthy but it wasn't anything Castiel couldn't handle. Metatron had been assigned to pick up an important 'package' at the warehouse facility and had been given the exact location on where to find it. Castiel had told Metatron that he'd do it himself while Metatron would stay outside, for obvious reasons.

That was why he was surprised when he saw Metatron at the exit, waiting for him.

"I told you to wait outside!" Castiel hissed angrily, walking quickly toward the other chimera, wings ruffling behind him in irritation.

"I was worried about you," Metatron replied with an apologetic smile.

"You were lucky you didn't set off anything," Castiel scolded, running a hand through his hair.

"Do you have it? Can I see it?" Metatron seemed giddy with excitement to see.

Castiel pulled the 'not coin' out of his pocket and dropped it in Metatron's outstretched hand.

"I don't understand why Raphael would want a useless item like that," Castiel commented, his disappointment apparent.

"If only you knew Castiel," Metatron replied with a knowing smile on his face.

Before Castiel could ask, Metatron had rammed him into the ground knocking the breath right out of him. He had been completely caught off guard so he'd smacked the back of his head hard on the concrete floor. His wings had taken the brunt of the fall and they were splayed out as a painful electric sensation spread throughout his wings, shoulders, and back. At the same time, he gasped for air as he struggled to turn on his side, his vision blurry and his head pulsing painfully from the fall. His body barely registered the sting of the prick of the needle that Metatron stabbed into his arm.

Whatever drug Metatron had given him worked quickly and Castiel started to panic as he was unable to move, paralyzed and his vision began to fade out slowly. He couldn't feel any of his limbs or his wings and he couldn't help feeling extremely vulnerable.

He could make out Metatron scurrying back to the exit but the figure stopped to look back at Castiel, who was slowly slipping into darkness.

"Raphael wants me to let you know that _now_, you're officially off the team with his permission. Your story's come to an end Castiel and I'm sorry it had to be such a tragic one."

_Fuck Metatron and his stupid story shit he rambles on about! How the hell could he do this? They were supposed to be friends!_ Castiel wanted to scream it out at the traitor but he could only let out a small grunt before he slipped into unconsciousness from the drug that pumped throughout his body.

Metatron took a look back at his friend's limp body before exiting the warehouse. There was no need to set off the alarms... the human workers would take the matter into their own hands. In fact, he was counting on it.

Castiel was at the complete and utter mercy of the humans who would find him soon enough.

* * *

The call with Abaddon wasn't as bad as Crowley had first initially thought it would be. They had finalized everything and were now partners, just like that. He'd drawn a few boundaries and made it quite clear that he wasn't one to be pushed around and astonishingly, Abaddon was compliant. He was a bit suspicious of the fact that she hadn't insisted on sharing the chimera data she obviously wanted from him so desperately. She was biding her time but two could play this game.

He was deep in thought when Dean barged into his office, without so much as a knock.

Crowley rubbed his beard in vexation, not happy at all with having his thoughts interrupted. "Squirrel... how many bloody times do I have to tell you? Knock! Is that concept so hard to grasp, even in that thick noggin' of yours?"

Dean gave him a cheeky smile. "Sorry."

"What do you want, you overgrown buffoon?"

"Check this out. Someone managed to get past every type of security in our warehouse and got in. I don't know about you but that's some freakin' mad skills, even if he didn't make it back out." Dean looked impressed.

Something always had to happen... Crowley got up from his chair and walked in front of his desk as he sat on the edge of it.

"We have footage, yes?"

Dean gave him a lopsided grin, almost as if there was a joke that Crowley just didn't understand. "Hell yes."

Crowley narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Dean but let it slide. He'd find out soon enough. "Let's see it."

Dean pulled up the footage from his discus, the entire thing projected in front of them. At first, there was nothing but then a shadow that wasn't completely human slunk across the floor as the owner came into view. It was a face Crowley recognized from the day before. His eyes lit up with interest as he watched the intruder grab something from the shelf of boxes and walk over to the exit where a friend seemed to be waiting for him. That idea was quickly proven wrong as Crowley watched the betrayal take place.

Dean looked at Crowley with perked up eyebrows. "You gotta admit though, getting in past the wall and on top of that, he got on our turf... He's good."

"He's made an impression on you, I see," Crowley pointed out observantly.

"Damn straight. And you mean, on the both of us," Dean said pointing his finger at Crowley and then himself, as if to emphasize a point.

"What was it that he grabbed off that shelf?" Crowley asked, a bit disappointed. Castiel didn't seem like a thief and usually, Crowley could pretty much tell off of first impressions what someone was like... Maybe he was wrong this time? No, there had to be a reason.

"I have no idea man, the lighting's pretty bad so I'm not sure... I could have the little man use his magic to figure that out," Dean said reassuringly. "If anyone could figure it out, it's Kevin. Or you could ask that Castiel dude yourself."

Dean was giving Crowley a weird thoughtful look that he found disconcerting but he ignored it as if he hadn't seen it.

"Alright, get that little brat to find out what that was. And get Castiel over here." He wanted to speak with the chimera about a lot of things. It was amusing that he and Castiel were meeting each other again but in such an awkward situation this time. "Oh and Dean?"

Dean stopped before leaving the room, finding it weird that Crowley hadn't used a nickname. "Yeah?"

"Make sure no one lays a finger on him," Crowley said seriously with a dark expression on his face.

Dean nodded, understanding what Crowley was getting at. "Got it chief." With that, Dean left.

Crowley knew too well that the prejudice towards chimeras would make the workers who found Castiel have their way with him unless they were ordered not to. He only hoped it wasn't too late.

* * *

The pain was excruciating and the drug made his senses dull. It also seemed to have enhanced his sensitivity to pain because every single part of his body from when Metatron had rammed him into the ground ached in a way that made him prefer death. _Fuck_. He knew it was over for him already; it was only a matter of time.

He could make out murmurs of voices all around him and he slowly opened his eyes, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the light. He was surrounded by a bunch of men roughly half of them in security guard uniforms, the other half looking like regular workers. He took the time to count, finding that there were six of them. It was then that he realized that they had tightly bound his hands, wings and feet with a thin metallic looking rope. He tested the binding but stopped suddenly as he felt a painful electric shock that grew the more he tried to struggle. When he stopped, the pain disappeared.

A bulky and tall looking security guard stepped forward and approached Castiel, looking down at him with an arrogant grin but Castiel was aware of the look of disgust in the other man's eyes.

"Looks like a little bird wandered a bit too far from his nest." The man grinned as his buddies chuckled at the comment. This was not good... there was a blood lust in everyone's eyes - a look Castiel knew too well from his experience in the fighting ring and this time - he was completely defenseless unable to fight back or protect himself.

Castiel managed to look up at the other man with a challenging glint in his eyes that earned him a kick in the face. Thankfully, he hardly felt a thing. Chimeras were much more resistant to injury and humans weren't that strong when compared to chimeras physically. A kick was manageable. Whatever these men had in mind, he only hoped that they'd hurry and get it over with but he highly doubted it. This was a rare opportunity for these men, a chance to vent their prejudice, frustrations, and whatever else they felt physically.

A shorter stubby man with a bald head stepped beside the other man, handing him gloves. The taller man accepted, both men having a wicked grin plastered on their faces. The other men seemed to understand what was going on, backing away from where Castiel was. _What the hell was going on?_ The taller man slipped on the gloves and made his palms face Castiel and that's when he realized what was happening.

He started to hover in the air, and when he was a few feet off the ground, the man made a 'come here' motion with his hands. Castiel started floating towards the man and he couldn't help grit his teeth at the fact that he couldn't do anything. A 'halt' motion from the man's hands stopped Castiel a few feet away. That's when the bald man spoke.

"You're quite the looker, aren't you?"

Castiel sent a repugnant glare in the direction of the shorter man who raked his eyes over the chimera. Castiel felt repulsed by those bulgy eyes gazing at him like that.

"Fuck you!" He snarled the words out in frustration at how vulnerable he was.

A creepy smile crept across the lips of the bald man. "Well lookie here Toby, this one here is frisky. I think we'll have lots of fun to look forward to."

"You're right Rix, we will." Toby turned to address Castiel again. "And chimeras are tough bastards which means we get to hang out with this one for a long time. Isn't that right, birdy?"

Toby then raised his hands, showing off his gloves to Castiel. "Like 'em? These gloves use magnetic fields in metal so we can lift and move stuff around the warehouse. Pretty cool toy huh? We have lots of toys because I think the boss is some inventor or something... I don't know but enough small talk, let's get this show on the road."

First off, who the hell had a name like Rix? It sounded like some food brand. Second, Toby was right, chimeras were hard to injure but it wasn't impossible but it did mean that this was going to take a while. Third... he was so screwed. The weird metal rope thing looked like it was made of metal, now that he thought about it. He was amazed at how much the humans had advanced in technology.

At this point, he found himself hating Metatron, not because he had been stabbed in the back, but because Metatron had not respected the fact that they had been friends and rather than killing him, had left him to be humiliated and degraded by humans instead.

He was so deep in thought that he hadn't noticed that he was rising higher in the air. It was only when he crashed back first onto the cold concrete floor that jerked him back to reality. The pain was unimaginably agonizing and because the drug effects were still in play, it only enhanced the fire that flared throughout his body as he let out a yelp in surprise.

There was no time to recover because he was lifted again and dropped but this time, he used his wings and tightened his entire body to brace himself for impact. It helped somewhat but the humans were relentless. They even took turns and the height at which Castiel was being released at got higher and higher until they raised him all the way up so that he touched the ceiling of the warehouse.

The warehouse reverberated with the muffled smack of Castiel's body hitting the floor, and this time, it was too much, even for his chimera body to handle. He'd just been dropped too many times for a long period of time and from a height that would have easily killed a human. He heard a pop from his right shoulder and a numb sensation in that area and just knew that his shoulder was dislocated. At the same time, he found that it was getting harder to breathe because of the sharp stabbing pang throughout his chest... definitely some broken ribs.

The jeering and laughing of the men stirred a dark hatred and bitterness deep in Castiel's heart that he'd kept buried. He'd make his move when an opportunity presented itself. There would be no forgiveness or mercy, he would tear them all apart.

Dark purple bruises were already forming on his skin because of how long they'd been dropping him. His ankle throbbed and screamed to him that it was sprained. His wings convulsed and twitched at the abuse of cushioning the impact of his falls. At this point, he was physically and mentally exhausted but managed to turn his head to look at the condition his wings were in and it wasn't a pretty sight.

His wings had been bound much tighter than his hands or feet - probably because they looked so threatening - that the metallic rope had cut into his wings all over the place. His feathers were completely matted and sticky from all the blood but what worried him more was that he couldn't feel his wings at all. Even if he detested them, he'd found that they came in handy at times. The physical abuse had really taken a toll on him and he was too tired to move at all, lying his head on the floor, completely spent.

Throughout this entire session, Castiel hadn't made a sound after the yelp, clenching his jaw to prevent himself from making anymore noises but thankfully, he was used to pain. In the fighter ring, against all different types and sizes of chimeras, he'd experienced torment much worse than this. He wasn't going to give these humans the satisfaction for what they were doing to him.

Unfortunately, that was about to change.

Toby walked over to Castiel, not bothering to keep a safe distance away from him anymore. There was no reason to. He knelt down and grabbed a fistful of Castiel's hair and jerked it up so that he had no choice but to look up at the man sneering down at him. That was when Toby's Discus went off and he looked down in annoyance but smiled as he realized who the caller was. Castiel made out the holographic lettering to be 'Dean Winchester.'

Toby stood up and swiped the air to accept the call. The hologram of this Dean was projected on the spot exactly where Castiel was, most likely do that Dean wouldn't be able to see what was going on. God these humans were so sneaky...

"Dean! It's good to hear from you." Toby was all smiles, almost as if he was seeing an old friend.

"Hey Toby, glad to see you're doing well. " Castiel tried to turn his head to catch a glimpse of this Dean. Dean was wearing jeans and a plaid shirt with another shirt underneath and the colors of his clothes made his green eyes stand out.

"What's up?" Toby looked at Dean curiously.

Dean clapped his hands before answering. "Well, you probably found him already but it's about the chimera that managed to sneak in last night. You guys found him, right?"

Toby stole a quick glance at Rix who simply shrugged his shoulders. "Uh yeah, we did actually. What about him?"

"Orders from up top, don't do anything with him, alright? Don't touch him. The boss was pretty specific on that. He just wants to take care of that chimera personally. I'll actually head over to you guys in a few minutes to pick it up." Dean glanced at his watch. "I'll probably be there in half an hour."

Toby simply nodded. "Got it."

Dean gave a slight nod back I'm acknowledgement. "See you soon man."

As soon as the call disconnected, one of the other men in the group spoke up in panic.

"What the hell do we do now?!"

Toby shook his head. "We do nothing. Just keep on going like we are now."

"Didn't you just hear what Dean just said?"

Toby ignored the comment and knelt down in front of Castiel again. "Thirty minutes is more than enough time. We have nothing to worry about. Dean's a human, so he won't mind if we have a little fun. He'll make an exception for us because do you honestly think he'll choose this thing over us?"

The other men still looked a little uncomfortable but relented in the end. Toby was right, humans would choose their kind over chimeras and vice versa. What worried Castiel was what would happen within the thirty minutes. Of course, he hadn't missed the "take care of" part in the conversation with Dean either. Either way, he was screwed. He preferred the latter. It sounded less painful and of course, there was no way of knowing that but he just had a feeling. It didn't matter now because Toby drew a deadly looking knife from his belt.

Castiel couldn't help holding his breath as he looked at the knife. The blade itself looked too thin to do any damage to anything at all and everything about it including the handle looked more like a piece of artwork than a weapon. He couldn't have been more wrong.

Toby ran the tip of the knife slowly down Castiel's jawline, slightly touching his skin but he felt an unbelievable fiery sting shooting throughout his body, not just where the blade had touched him, that he gasped in agony. A sting was **not** supposed to hurt this bad, holy shit. On top of it, the knife had barely touched him and the cut wasn't too deep but he was bleeding much more than expected as he looked at the tiny puddle forming on the ground. How much technology did these humans have at their disposal? It was beyond what he could have imagined.

Toby must have sensed his confusion and snickered. "You're wayyyy behind on what's been going around in our neck of the woods, huh? Well, this little thing, is a knife that's made out of some metal, I forget the name but it's a type of metal that can inflict elemental pain. Oh, did I mention it's so super sharp that it does more internal damage?"

Castiel's eyes widened, half of it in horror, the other half in awe. Toby turned to the other men.

"Flip him over on his back and hold him down so he doesn't move around too much," Toby ordered.

Two men on each side of him began to approach when he let out a growl that made them hesitate and stop. Tony rolled his eyes and handed the knife over to Rix and walked over to Castiel, kicking him right in the stomach that made him roll over unconsciously at the pain. His entire body was already battered and beaten that he didn't have much resistance left in him… but he was saving a bit of energy for a little surprise later.

"Well?" Toby looked at the other men. "Can you weaklings hold him down now?!"

The men quickly pinned him down but Castiel squirmed a little in retaliation as Rix straddled down around his waist. Rix used the knife to cut up Castiel's shirt and slowly ran a hand down Castiel's chest that made his insides curl in disgust.

Castiel looked up at the other man with a look of defiance that wiped the beaming grin off of Rix's face. Castiel couldn't help feeling smug about it but it was short lived as he struggled to keep his head away as Rix tried to lean down near his ear which earned him a stab in the shoulder that left him writhing in pain and unable to move.

"We're going to get to know each other real well these next thirty minutes, little birdy."


End file.
